34 Comments

robertguyton

The National Party responsible for the destruction of our kauri forests:

“The Herald has another story about the abuse of the OIA, this time at MPI. Forest & Bird requested information from MPI on its handling of Kauri dieback. MPI dragged its feet, and extended the timeframe into the never-never. The Ombudsman has now ruled their extension was unlawful – and oddly, the information was released immediately, suggesting that the delay was political rather than practical:
The Ombudsman has asked the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to apologise to Forest and Bird after the group waited for months to receive information it had requested about kauri dieback management.

The group has accused MPI of sitting on the documents, which were released one day after Ombudsman Leo Donnelly responded to its complaint over the four-month delay.

However, MPI insists it released the information “immediately after it was ready”.

So why didn’t MPI want to release the information? The request was prompted by several reports of how the response to Kauri dieback was mismanaged, so there’s an obvious reason there. And if you’re in any doubt, there’s a piece in New Zealand Geographic about both Kauri dieback and the MPI response, which ought to dispel any doubts. Its very clear from it that MPI has simply not bothered to fund the basic science into this disease. It seems that it thinks its biosecurity responsibilities only extend to subsidising commercial industry, not in protecting our iconic species from extinction.”

PartisanZ

“When inequality is high and strips large numbers of men of the usual markers of status – like a good job and the ability to support a family – matters of respect and disrespect loom disproportionately.

Inequality predicts homicide rates “better than any other variable”, says Martin Daly, professor emeritus of psychology and neuroscience at McMaster University in Ontario …

This includes factors like rates of gun ownership (which also rise when inequality does) and cultural traits like placing more emphasis on “honor” (this, too, turns out to be linked with inequality). “About 60 [academic] papers show that a very common result of greater inequality is more violence …

For both evolutionary and cultural reasons, social status is most highly contested during adolescence and early adulthood, because high rank is frequently associated with sexual attractiveness.”

Kitty Catkin

PartisanZ

The writer refers to other countries too Miss Kitty. It’s about inequality being “better than any other variable” in predicting homocide. The writer also refers to other violent crimes and burglary, for which inequality is also a good determinant …

Kitty Catkin

In Victorian England, while there was violent crime* (but then, as now, the press sensationalised it to make it seem worse than it was and make people feel unsafe) it wasn’t as high as it is now-but it was a very ‘unequal’ society.

* and plenty of dishonest offences. But as a rule, burglars were not armed-it was, I think, a lesser offence.

PartisanZ

” … the Patriotic Millionaires. The website describes members as “traitors to their class”, and then elaborates: “Patriotic Millionaires are high-net-worth Americans, business leaders, and investors who are united in their concern about the destabilizing concentration of wealth and power in America.”

robertguyton

“The National Party itself is now wedded and compromised personally to wealthy Chinese interests. Jenny Shipley, Don Brash, Ruth Richardson and Chris Tremain are Director’s of the China Construction Bank, Judith Collins interaction with Chinese Officials to help her husbands Chinese Company, Oravida, to gain more Chinese money and Maurice Williamson’s love affair with Donghua Liu saw him become Liu’s personal handyman when doing up Liu’s batch and heavying the Police to drop domestic violence charges.
The National Government are as dependent on their Chinese friends as the entire property speculating middle class have now become and that’s why National are still over 44% in the polls.
What was most astounding is that 44% of NZ still voted for National despite a Chinese Spy being outed as a senior member of the National Party.”
Ed (TS)

robertguyton

Us guys? Hate China?
?
There certainly is a strong “alliance” between many National Party MP/ex MPs and Chinese “interests” isn’t there! And the whole “Chinese spy trainer Nat MP” is certainly concerning, don’t you think? Not prudent, in my view, to have someone who failed to declare such an important detail. Worse than Metiria Turei, aye, yet National and her defenders (you, for example) croon, “nothing to see here”. Really odd.

Kitty Catkin

Kitty Catkin

Traveller, did you ever have The Little Red Book ? It was actually quite dull, but nobody admitted this.I wish that I still had mine as a curiosity.

My flat had a plain glass window in the bathroom; I don’t think that anyone could have seen in, but I had a poster of Mao that fitted it-it was just his face, actual size-so I fixed it over the lower pane and it looked as if he was in there, looking out.

Zedd

I see that the new Govt. has just introduced:
‘Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill’

now set down for 1st reading in new year !

It was interesting that during Q-time, there was a question asked to Dr Clark about this bill, but the opposition MP could not help themselves ‘muddying the waters’ calling it ‘Medical MARIJUANA’ as has been pointed out (ad nauseum) this is a SLANG name & should not be used seriously in the Medicinal/Scientific context, but rather only as with personal/recreational use (IMHO) 😦

Zedd

1) Its gotta be better than the current status quo ie a couple of unfunded big-pharma products.. ‘take it or leave it’.. (OR go to the black-market & risk prosecution)

2) at least this minister seems to be listening to the issues, not just taking the fear-mongering/misinformation ‘reefer madness path’, of the last mob & ignoring all the alternatives, occurring in many other OECD countries.. because they apparently ‘knew better’ ??